


No Sweetness to the Sorrow of Parting

by cero_ate



Category: Captain America (2011), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-08
Updated: 2012-07-08
Packaged: 2017-11-09 09:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/454162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cero_ate/pseuds/cero_ate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve faces a long night and the parting of his best friend with the morning light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Sweetness to the Sorrow of Parting

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Altilis for the glance over and Pervyficgirl for betaing.

They’d forgotten about him. He’d been there so long, sitting next to his Momma, sketching with the dearly bought pencils and paper. Momma hadn’t ever said it, but Steve knew that she’d had to give up so much so she could buy him that paper. But she said it was okay because his sketches made her smile.

Nothing would make her smile again, though. He might be young and not healthy himself, but he wasn’t dumb. He knew what it meant when you coughed blood and lost weight. Not that Momma had ever been heavy. They couldn’t afford the food for that. He’d known since her clothes started hanging on her and tried to hope that she’d be able to shake it, like the people she made better did. 

But now that she was in her own ward… he heard the cough that he’d heard the nurses call the ‘death rattle’. He knew that with the sun his Momma would leave him. She wouldn’t be around no more for him. 

He didn’t know what would happen to her or him. Would she get buried proper with a service and everything? He didn’t want to lose her. He’d prayed so hard that God wouldn’t take her. He still needed her. But apparently God needed her more. She’d be with Pop finally again. 

He’d heard the nurses muse that both of them would have died coughing their lungs out. And Steve would probably join them doing the same thing. Steve didn’t want to die, though. But if she wasn’t around to make sure he got his medicine who would?

He curled up in his chair, watching his Momma, watching her drift away from him. She hadn’t opened her eyes in days. He didn’t even feel like she was there with him anymore.

As the sun came up she stopped breathing. She was gone and Steve felt so utterly alone. They’d been a team, always. The nurses, Momma’s friends, came in, and shooed him out. Shooed him away, ignoring his questions. He waited uncertainly as a priest came in, and did Momma’s last rites. He was trying to be so good and not cry, but they were taking her away. He broke away from the Sister’s hold and ran to her, and put his last picture in her hands before they could take her away. He rubbed his eyes fiercely. He’d made it for her. She could take it with her.

The nun took his hand firmly again and lead him away, scolding him and telling him he needed to be a big boy and not fuss so much. They told him that it was what his mother would have wanted. But Steve knew Momma would have been okay if he cried.

He didn’t have nothing really to take with him. His clothes were in a bag already ‘cause they’d lost the rent on their place ‘cause Momma couldn’t make the rent when she got sick. 

Once he’d gotten his bag, the nun took him to the orphanage. She assigned him his bed and a boy came forward when she beckoned him over. He was brown haired and bigger then Steve. He could tell they were the same age. The boy had a healing split lip and Steve wasn’t sure about him.

“I’m Bucky, I’m gonna be your friend here,” Bucky explained, holding out his hand. “Anyone bug you, you get me.”

Steve shook his hand and nodded shyly. He didn’t have friends before. Bucky pulled him into a rough hug.

“It’s gonna be okay, I promise,” Bucky said firmly.


End file.
